Amalgamator.



l PaterntedJune 6, 1911.

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v` E. H. & A. M. MUGUIRB.

MINE' -APPLIOATION FILED rn 994,476.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD H. MGGUIRE AND AMANDA M. MDGUIRE, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AMALGAMATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD I-I. Mc- GUIRE and AMANDA M. MGGUIRE, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented a new and useful Amalgamator, of which the following is a specification.

Our object is to make an improved apparatus for extracting and collecting gold, and our invention consists of the novel features herein shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective of an amalgamator embodying the principles of our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exaggerated sectional detail of one of the flat amalgamator elements in a horizontal position. Fig. 4 is a view analogous to Fig. 3 and showing the plate in an inclined position for the purpose of illustrating the mercury coating on a iat plate. Fig. 5 is a perspective illustrating the fluid mercury coating applied to tangled strips of sheet copper used in forming the amalgamating element. f

Referring tothe drawing in detail the main frame is in the form of a trough and comprises the flat bottom 1, the sideboards 2 ,and 3 extending upwardly from the edges of the 'lat bottom and the head-board l extending upwardly from one end of the flat bottom and connecting the corresponding ends of the side-boards 2 and 3. The sluice 5 discharges into the trough over the headboard 4. The upper edge of the side-board 2 is cut away near the head-board f1 to Jform the overiow passage 6.

The grizzly screen 7 is attached to the upper edges of the side-boards 2 and 3 and the head-board 4 and has up-turned edges 8, 9, and 1() to hold the dirt, and has a downturned edge 11 fitting in the passage 6 so that water and dirt going through the sluice 5 will pass u on the body of the screen 7 and the over ow will pass out through the passage 6.

The retaining screen 12 is mounted crosswise of the trough near its center and just below the screen 7 said retaining screen being attached to the upper face of the bottom 1 and to the innerfaces of the side-boards 2 and 3. The regulitting gate 13 is mounted transversely of theftrough. The ends of the gate slide vertically in bearings formed in the inner faces of the side-boards 2 and 3 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1911.

Patented June 6, 1911.

serial No. 608,273.

and the lower edge of the gate normally ts against the upper face of the bottom 1 so as to close the passage downwardly through the trough.

Gear racks 14 are mounted one upon each end of the gate 13. The shaft 15 is mounted in bearings crosswise of the trough. Pins 16 are fixed upon the shaft 15 in mesh with the racks 111. An operating handle 17 is provided for the shaft 15 so that by manipulating the handle 17 the gate 13 may be accurately adjusted to regulate the passage under the gate. The gate 13 is mounted parallel with the retaining screen 12 and a short distance from the screen, thereby forming a settling basin 18 between the retaining screen and the regulating gate.

The amalgamating chamber 19, which is below the grizzly screen 7 communicates with the settling basin 18 through the retaining screen 12. The tangled amalgamating mass 20 is placed in the amalgamating chamber 19. The tangled amalgamating mass 2O is made up of a large quantity of copper scraps 21 having a coating of mercury 22. The scraps 21 may be strips of sheet copper, or they may be shavings planed from a block of copper, or they may be of any suitable form of copper, the object being to present the largest possible amalgamating surface in the tangled mass suiiiciently porous to allow dirt and water to run freely, and suiiiciently dense to thoroughly break up the slimes, etc.

An amalgamating plate 23 is placed upon ,the floor 1 below the gate 13. The opening is made in the lower end of the floor extending nearly fromV the side-board 2 to the sideboard 3 and a mercury trap 24. is mounted in this opening. The amalgamating plate 23 is provided with a coating of mercury 25. Thus it will be seen that we have provided two forms of amalgamating elements; one form being the tangled mass 2O provided with a coating of mercury; and the other form being the iat plate 23 provided with a coating of mercury.

The sludge, slimes, or the like, pass through the sluice 5 onto the grizzly screen 7 and the finer and heavier particles pass through the screen 7 and through the amalgamating element 20, and the coarser and lighter material passes through the overflow passage 6. The retaining screen 12 holds the amalgamatin element 20 in place and the gold bearing so ution passes through the screen into the settling chamber 18 and then under the gate 18 over the amalgamating element 23 and to the mercury trap 24.

The amalgamating element presents Very large surfaces of mercury to contact with the gold bearing solutions and the mercury readily holds the gold until it is loaded, then the amalgamating element is removed and cleaned in the usual way.

We claim 1. In an amalgamator, a bottom, sides eX- tending upwardly from the bottom, a head extending upwardly from the bottom and connecting the sides, a retaining screen mounted crosswise of the bottom and connecting the sides, a porous amalgamating element between the head and the retaining Screen, a regulating gate mounted crosswise of the bottom and connected to the sides for gate mounted below the retaining screen and means for adjusting the gate relatively to the bottom.

EDWARD H. MCGUIRE. AMANDA M. MGGUIRE.

Witnesses OLIVE DIFFENDERFER, CLARENCE J. WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

